So apparently Microsoft has begun mass producing its second generation Surface Book, with upstream supply chain players expecting the company to make an announcement by the end of the month or sometime in April. That is not really surprising—Microsoft has several generations of Surface Pro models under its belt, so why not keep the Surface Book line alive? What is somewhat surprising, however, is that Microsoft may opt for a traditional clamshell design rather than stick with the detachable 2-in-1 form factor of the original.

It seems that Microsoft wants to create more separation between the Surface Book and its Surface Pro family, both of which are 2-in-1 devices. The difference between the two is that the Surface Pro is more of a tablet-first, laptop-second design, and the reverse is true of the Surface Book, as it ships with keyboard that is higher quality the optional Type Covers available for the Surface Pro.

The other thing Microsoft may do is lower the price of the Surface Book 2. Microsoft feels that the high price of the original combined with its detachable design is in conflict with the Surface Pro, causing the company to only ship 500,000 Surface Books in 2016. By lowering the price and going with a traditional laptop design, Microsoft surmises its Surface Book 2 could see a lot more demand, perhaps even reaching 1.5 million shipments in 2017.

One thing Microsoft is not changing is the display size. The Surface Book 2 will still wield a 13.5-inch display. Microsoft will also stick with high quality materials in the construction of the Surface Book 2—like its predecessor, the Surface Book 2 will be constructed from a magnesium aluminum alloy.

There is no word on specs just yet, though we'd be surprised if Microsoft didn't build the Surface Book 2 around Intel's Kaby Lake processors. Pricing is expected to be around $1,000, versus $1,499 and up for the first generation Surface Book.